The Dove; Distressed

For hours, Dove sat in a ball at one of the bay windows in the library. She had been unable to concentrate on anything but what happened earlier that day.

Her mind played the scene over and over. She had wrenched up so many times that nothing was coming out anymore. Her throat burned without even having to swallow and when she did swallow, it felt like fire. Dove was too absorbed in her thoughts to heal her pain though. She would only notice it for a second before her mind would return to the floating dead doves.

Dove knew Scorpius too well. She knew why he picked those doves. It wasn't because they were her favorite bird of all.

No.

He was threatening her. He was giving her a sign. Scorpius was telling her that she would end up the same way if she didn't comply.

She envisioned him severing her head off while she lightly swayed upside down over the tank of water. She saw her head falling into the water like the dead dove had. The severed head and the gushing blood from her neck turning the water into blood quickly.

Dove couldn't think of nothing else but that. Her body shook uncontrollably. She had never experienced a fear so strong. It was so awful that she was actually cold from it, even though the room was warm and she was sweating.

"Mistress Grace."

Dove screamed, and pointed her wand at the house elf.

Dubsey shrank back, shielding her face with her hands. "Dubsey's sorry!!! Don't punish Dubsey!"

Dove was breathing hard, her eyes frantically searching the library, looking for any sign of the dove eating snake.

Dubsey peeked between her fingers, nervously waiting for Dove to strike her.

"Sorry..." Dove said, once she realized she was in no danger. "I..." she wiped a flow of tears. "F-f-fine..."

Dubsey had tears in her own eyes, sympathizing with her Mistress. "It is nearly dinner time, Mistress."

Dove nodded, looking at some inanimate object, fearing the snake was hiding behind it, ready to slither out at her and swallow her whole. "Th-Thanks..."

She was wise enough to know that she was in no condition to apparate down to the ground floor. With her wand drawn out, and jumping at every noise or even the thought of a noise, she slowly made it to the dining room.

"You're late." Lucius announced with a sigh. "Put your wand away, this isn't a dueling match."

The whole family was already in the room, Scorpius stood by doorway next to her, as if he had been waiting for her. "You heard Grandfather." He told Dove.

Dove did so without a second thought and Scorpius took her hand, leading her to the table where everyone else was seated. After she took her seat, he pushed her chair in for her, and set three potions by her empty plate.

"What did you do to her?" Narcissa asked. "She's as jumpy as a jumping bean."

"Grandmother, if I explained it at this moment to you, you would not be eating tonight."

"And quite possibly the next couple of days." Lucius added, watching Dove closely. "Scorpius has succeeded with showing his wife where her place is."

"Merlin, she's a mess." Draco muttered, glaring at his son. "It's unbelievable on what you're willing to do just so she obeys you in the sack. Rubbish it is!"

"Don't be jealous now, Father." Scorpius smirked.

"I don't need to force my wife to do anything!" Draco snapped. "You ruined her. She was such a lovely girl, and now..." he trailed off unable to finish.

"At least I don't have to kill her." Scorpius argued. "You shall be happy, Father. The Malfoy name will carry on. That's all that matters, right?"

"Not this way, and you know it!"

Scorpius shrugged carelessly. "I did what I had to do. Every last one of you brawl beat me from the day I hit puberty about marrying and having an heir. Now that I have done it, you're going to lecture me?"

"I have been lecturing you for years!" Draco shouted. "You have been doing it all wrong! You can't force people to do things they don't believe in!"

Scorpius was undisturbed by his father's outburst. He nonchalantly took a drink of his wine, his eyes focused on his father's. "I did what I had to do for this family."

"Can we just eat?" Astoria asked. "What's done is done. There's no going back."

"They already want us dead!" Draco told his wife. "Once they see her..." he gestured toward Dove. "They will make sure its a slow and painful one!"

"Which was the whole point in making her a Malfoy." Lucius spoke up.

"They will never kill her son." Scorpius gently pet Dove's arm. "I did the right thing."

"You had her to begin with, and you fucked it all up! You're to blame!"

"Please..." Dove whispered. "Don't fight over me."

"Grace..." Draco started softly. "I'm so sorry..."

"What... Astoria said is right..." she spoke without looking at anyone in the face. "What's done is done." She uncorked the potions one by one. "I accept this family as my own. I would appreciate if no one fought because of me." She drink a potion. "It is one thing I hate the most...people fighting..." she grimaced at the second potion's foul flavour. "If I am allowed one request, that's it. Family is everything. Don't allow me to be the one to cause your separation."

Scorpius chuckled. "She's not ruined, Father. Grace is still the Dove. Only now, she's OUR Dove."

Draco stood up from the table. "I've had enough of this." He stormed out of the room.

"Wait!" Astoria called, getting up and hurrying after him. "Draco!"

"Scorpius..." Lucius started. "I have this awful feeling that your father is about to betray this family."

Scorpius cleared his throat. "He's done so already Grandfather. It is his fault we have been stuck here."

Lucius raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"He sold us out to The Order." Scorpius explained. "If he was not my father, I would have slaughtered him like a lamb."

Narcissa gasped in horror.

"Unforunately, I love my father." Scorpius set his fork down, taking an extra moment to chew his food. "I suggest you take Grandmother and hide." He told Lucius.

"What about yourself?"

Scorpius set his hand on Dove's head. "We'll be fine." He assured him.

"You should come, Scorpius." Narcissa pleaded tearfully.

"If I do, Father will not stop his search for me, and he knows me just as well as Dovey here. They will catch us eventually. As it is, I am running on borrowed time. The aunt has been slowly breaking down our protective wards."

"And you didn't tell us?" Lucius demanded.

Scorpius tilted his head. "I figured I would mention it when there were two wards left. I had already planned an escape. The skull statue in my office- it will apparate you to a tunnel, but it will deactivate once you use it, so do it together. In the tunnel, is half my Galleon fund raising from the Wizard's Force. It should last you a long time."

Narcissa stood up, and touched Lucius' shoulder. "We don't have much time."

"Goodbye... Scorpius." His grandfather said sincerely.

"I love you." Scorpius told them as they left the room.

"Does this mean... you're setting me free?" Dove asked, a small spark of hope arised inside her.

Scorpius chuckled. "I always did tell you that you were a big dreamer, Love."